Factory promo?

[TAY666]

Got an email from a fan of the site.
He was asking about a kit he used to have.
I've never heard of anything like it so I figured it's time to ask around and see if anyone else has any ideas.

"Back in the Toy Shop days, I had bought what was said to be a T-Rex factory promo. I had bought it from one of the big Aurora dealers back then. (It might have been Greg Roccaro, but I'm not sure).
The factory promo came in a large Aurora box. The previous Aurora kit numbers had been covered over by brown paper tape, and the kit number of the T-Rex was hand written on the tape in black marker, "746-500". Also hadwritten was "Rex".
Inside the box was a T-Rex build-up. All the moveable parts, except for the jaws, were glued so they couldn't be moved. The only painted parts of the kit were the nails on the arms, painted in a light grey color, and the pupils of the eyes, which were a lime green color.
The model was wrapped in black foam, which was masking taped together, and the kit was secured on a piece of cardboard, with the feet secured to the cardboard by wire ties. Also included in the box was the cardboard backdrop that came with the kit. The entire box was filled with newspapers that prevented the model from rolling around, and were dated 1974.
I have never seen or heard of anything like this. What are your thoughts about this being a factory promo?
I no longer have this kit, but I do have photographs of it. When I get some free time, I will e-mail them to you. "

Anyone have any thoughts?

[scooke123]

Never heard of this one. Possibly something built by someone to display at a Hobby Shop? I'd love to see the pictures of this one!
Steve

[TAY666]

Here is a pic.

Doesn't look like a store display to me.
But I wonder if it might be some kind of salesman sample.

[scooke123]

You might be right about the salesman sample - I doubt Aurora would do a crude cardboard base like that esp since they had the 2 PS cardboard displays you would think they would come up with another for the T-Rex.
Steve

[TAY666]

There was a display for the rex.
www.tylisaari.com/prehistoricscenes/rexdisplay.html

But it didn't have a kit.

[scooke123]

Nice!! I forgot about seeing that one before. Too bad Al fron Night Gallery doesnt do that one.
Steve

[TAY666]

I am sure if Al had access to one, he would have a repro available.

As to the one that started this thread.
The thing that keeps making me really think about this piece is all the 1974 newspapers in the box.
That would be right around the release timeframe for the kit.

[cromagnonman2000]

Interesting...maybe it was an 'official' Aurora display piece, but quickly-produced for a trade show to promote the kit once or twice in the year of its release. It doesn't look like a shop-display item for display in model shops.